It's hard to overstate how important this panel is going to be. There is a full court press going on in some jurisdictions (really primarily one) to push for deaconesses. Unlike earlier discussions, which were either completely affirming of the idea or completely opposed, the below list of panelists will give us a good mix of opinions. If you are unclear on what is being proposed of late, here are few open items.
- Would a deaconess be a liturgical role?
- If not liturgical, what role is being considered?
- If the need for deaconesses was largely based on the time in which it existed, is there truly a need today? We don't baptize women in the nude. Priests often visit women on home visits. Et cetera.
- The original requirements were things like widowhood, old age, and the like. Do we envision a continuation of such requirements?
- A deacon is a major order. Really, what logical line would divide a deaconess from eventually becoming a priestess or more?
- Is this an issue of "rights" or complementarity?
- The Catholic Church has claimed recently that the church is simply unable to ordain women to a liturgical clerical role. Does Orthodoxy agree with this prohibition?
- The move towards female clergy in the West has a decidedly different character than the deaconesses currently playing a role in Africa. Is what is sought parity with that role or something else? And if something else, why and how does it not fall into the "slippery slope" argument many contend has parallels with Anglicanism et al.?
- The meetings on deaconesses online have been very poorly attended. If there is no groundswell of support from this, what then is the need to do this now?
- And many more besides.
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(AFR) - The story of the Orthodox Deaconess is largely unknown today. When did they exist, and what was their function? In recent decades, there has been a call for the restoration of the female diaconate, and it is causing no small debate between Orthodox proponents and opponents.In the first episode of the 2024 Ancient Faith Today documentary series, John Maddex and Fr. Tom Soroka take a deep dive into this topic with The Orthodox Deaconess: Examining the Call for Restoration. This full-length documentary will feature scholarly experts on both sides of the issue and reflect upon the views shared and what we can conclude about the Church’s wisdom on this today. We invite you to participate in the live show by commenting on the livestreams and calling in with your comments, opinions, and feedback.
Panelists will include:
- Metropolitan Saba of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
- Mother Christophora
- Frederica Mathewes-Green
- Fr. Stephen De Young
- Dr. John Panagiotou
- Dr. Mary Ford
- Dr. Edith M. Humphrey
- Dr. Valerie Karras
- Dr. Jeannie Constantinou
- Dr. Carrie Frederick Frost
- Dr Helen Theodoropoulos
- Dr. Jim Skedros
- Fr. Lucas Christensen
- Sarah Byrne-Martelli
Listen live on Tuesday, January 30, to this special edition of Ancient Faith Today with Fr. Tom Soroka at 9:00 pm Eastern / 8:00 pm Central. After the live broadcast, the documentary and interviews will be available on ancientfaith.com.
I wonder if Dr. Carrie Frost will offer anything other than a neo-Kantian anthropology and morality combined with a personal bitterness (as reflected in her latest book)?
ReplyDeleteIn any case, this topic is sort of tired. Advocates for women's ordination just are not convincing - they can't seem to be able to fit in a modernist anthropology (or a "development" of classical Christian anthropology) into the Church's mind and spirit. Their rhetoric alleging that there will be all sorts of practical benefits pastorally with women's ordination comes across as (at best) wishful thinking. Unless your already a progressive/liberal theological thinker your just not interested...
Personally, I would be supportive of a non-liturgical role.
ReplyDelete1. We need more ministry/charity in our churches, and I would hope this move would be part of a re-establishment of an active diaconate (not just some equity thing)
2. I wish there was official paths for Woman to be set apart for ministry that woman could attain to
3. It would be great to formalize the Presbyters/Matushka as a formal co-ministry (if the woman is called to it of course)
4. Love to see church Baba/female mentor role nurtured and formalized
That being said, the question raised by our host are very valid questions.
(Disclosure: I come from an Orthodox mission to the poor in Toronto that had woman in paid/dedicated active ministry from family, children, charity, counseling, Doulas, abortion support, refugee with and hospital chaplains. So I have personally seen the benefit/potential model.)
Abortion support? In the sense of supporting women considering abortion to keep their children? Or of supporting women who have tragically had an abortion come back to Christ?
DeleteThe mission would support women to keep children, accompany women with learning disabilities/poor that were being encouraged to have abortions and advocate/emotionally support, have retreats for Women that had had abortions and pray for aborted children.
DeleteIt's good to see Dr. Jeannie Constantinou on the discussion panel, she's great.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine Dr. Frost will offer anything substantial more than her same old talking points. Will be interesting to see how she does on a panel not made up exclusively of likeminded Fordham hacks that have an agenda to push (as we recently saw at HCHC)
AFR is approaching a redline where it should change its name to HFR, Heterodox Faith Radio.
ReplyDeleteAcademic incrementalism.
ReplyDelete